Deceived
by Nuit Songeur
Summary: Téa, when she's within Marik's grasp at Battle City. He took over her mind so some things are still a bit fuzzy. What did she not remember?
1. A Blindly Given Mind

**A/N:** I know it's an odd pairing in the fandom but I like it. Weird I know. This is NOT a song fic. I happened to remember the quote and thought it fit quite nicely with the scenario. So far, it's just a one shot. If I get bored I may add more later. Though, don't get your hopes up.

**Disclaimer:** Regrettably and unfortunately, it's not mine.

**Warnings:** Well, this is what happens when you cross Evanescence and Cascada.

* * *

_"You deceived me... I gave you my mind blindly."  
_-Christine Daae in The Phantom of the Opera

* * *

He said his name was Namu. And she believed him.

Of course, when you introduce yourself to random strangers, you expect them to be truthful, especially when it comes to their name. But then, if the person is a total and complete stranger, how can you expect anyone to be truthful?

**-0-0-0-**

Mokuba had just escaped from the clutches of the Rare Hunters, with her aid and was now, hopefully, off to tell his brother, Seto Kaiba, and Yugi of Joey's and her predicament. Or to the very least, get help from some trustworthy outside source.

Because he had escaped, the Rare Hunters that were standing guard of her room-slash-makeshift-prison cell decided to move her somewhere else. Somewhere that wasn't filled with durable cardboard boxes and a functional window to the outside world.

They grasped her wrists quite tightly as they silently led her through the spacious rooms of the warehouse. Silently. That was one odd thing about these villains, they were always quiet. The ones Téa were used to- also known as the image of villainy constructed by cheap Hollywood movies- were loud, obnoxious, and very mocking. They liked to chide their hosts, but not these. These remained silent and grave, silent _as_ the grave, even. And because of that, it made the situation seem even more terrifying.

"Where are you taking me?" she demanded, trying to sound brave and filling the empty void with noise, trying futilely to help alleviate her fear, if by a small amount.

They didn't answer her, didn't even spare her a glance. At this point, Téa wouldn't have minded if they pushed her around a bit, thrown an odd insult here or there, so long as they did _something_ that proved that they weren't walking zombies.

But they did nothing and so Téa was resigned to remain silent as well.

At some point in their journey throughout the warehouse, they turned and were suddenly facing a metal door. They stopped before this door and one of the two men holding her captive went ahead of them to open it.

Apparently, this was her new cell.

This new cell of hers was darker than the previous one. Probably because there was no window to illuminate its depths. They threw her in carelessly and closed the metal door with a loud _bang_ and then, after the echoes resounded, there was silence once again.

Téa propped herself up from the metal floor. It was a cold metal floor that was just as eerie as the dead silence.

But the silence was deceptive, as a cave in the solstices, because when she groaned- resulting in the bruise she felt forming on her forearm- there was another sound that accompanied her groan in the void of sound in the room.

It was shuffling, and Téa realized that she wasn't the only one there.

"Who's there?" she called out in the darkness apprehensively. It was probably another prisoner, maybe even Joey, but she couldn't be sure with Marik's tricks.

"Téa?" said the other person. It took a moment, but she could recognize the voice.

"Namu?" she called, surprised. And then she remembered- Namu had been with them when the Rare Hunters had grabbed them. The poor guy. He was just a innocent duelist. It wasn't fair that he got dragged into all this mess Marik made. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time…

"Téa? So it _is_ you!" He sounded relieved and Téa couldn't blame it him; it was nice to be with someone you knew in such a dangerous and terrible situation.

"Where _are_ you, Namu? I can't see a thing…" she said, straining her eyes against the darkness but to no avail. It was _really_ dark.

"Hang on a second, let me find you. Don't move a muscle," he instructed. She obeyed and strained her ears for the shuffling she heard coming from somewhere in front of her.

Fingers lightly brushed against her hand resting on the floor and suddenly, she felt a warm hand encircle its fingers around hers.

"Namu, is that you?" she asked stupidly- who else could it be?- and feeling her face grow slightly warm as his touch. Blushing, she realized, and thankful it was pitch black.

"Yes it is," replied Namu's voice from somewhere close to her, really close. So close, she felt his breath brushing across her face. Her whole frame trembled nervously.

The idea of him being so close to her initially startled her that she almost missed something she faintly detected in his voice. There was a slightly harsh note in it, almost malevolent. But she could have easily imagined it, her thoughts were suddenly clouded with biased ideas.

In addition to the breath she felt breezing across her face, she felt the warm sensation of a finger caressing her cheek and trailing across her face. She shivered- a warm touch in a cold room. The finger turned into a hand that held her face gently.

What was Namu _doing?_ They barely even knew each other!

"Namu?" she said tentatively, her voice shaking slightly. "What are you doing?" He shushed her by removing his hand from hers and placing a finger over her lips. She sat, motionless, as he pushed a curtain of her hair back. And, suddenly, his nose was skimming across the skin of her neck. Unable to help herself, Téa erupted into a fit of trembling. Maybe Namu wasn't as innocent as she originally thought…

"Namu?" she whispered, sounding practically helpless. The finger over her lips pressed slightly harder, a motion that meant for her to stay quiet.

"Hmm…" was his contemplative reply. But it wasn't a reply to her, more like a confirmation to himself. In that simple sigh of his, she heard his voice change drastically from an innocent boy to a more rougher, more masculine side. She was suddenly too terrified of him to move, speak, or even, more simply, to _react_.

"It's a shame," he said in the new harsher voice of his. "That you won't remember a thing of this."

Her mind screamed at her, willed her legs to move and her arms to push him away. And yet, she remained as unchanged as ever, transfixed on someone she knew wasn't her friend.

And even more suddenly, he removed his fingers and pressed his mouth onto hers in a kiss that was so tensed and yet somehow so soft- for his hand did not betray the brutality that his new voice now offered.

It seemed as long as hours and at the same time, as short as seconds when he pulled away and she could feel a smirk on his features through the darkness.

"Namu?" she whispered helplessly again.

"My name is not Namu," he said in a triumphant, almost sadistic tone. "It's Marik."

* * *

And there you go! I really, really like this pairing. Even though it's pretty rare-slash-odd in the fandom. I just thought about putting it out there for anyone who might enjoy it as well.

Please review! I love reviews! Everyone's means a lot to me!

**_-Nuit Songeur_**


	2. Inside This Mind

**A/N:** Due to request made fairly recently, I've been musing with the idea of continuing this. (If you remember from earlier- I said I might add more if I got bored.) Well, I guess I did. And, I'm planning on adding more. All with _Phantom of the Opera_ quotes. Because, if you think about it, the pairing works with it. (Again, not a song fic)

**Warnings:** Erm, as with my potrayal of Marik- slight sadistic way of showing affection.

* * *

"_My power over you grows stronger yet. And though you turn from me, to glance behind- …(I'm)… there, inside your mind."  
_The Phantom from _The Phantom of the Opera_. Taken slightly out of context.

* * *

Téa woke up slowly, blinking away the drowsiness of being unconscious. And, suddenly, she perked up, realizing she was chained to a chair of sorts. When she had deduced this, she began panicking, madly wriggling while in her trapped position in an attempt to escape out of her current situation.

But, she should have known, it was completely useless. The belt-like materials that were used as restraints tightly secured her to the chair. She sighed, trying to think of how she gotten to where she was. She remembered two of the Rare Hunters taking her to another room after Mokuba had escaped. And then what? What happened after that?

Téa racked her brain desperately but couldn't come up with an answer. She only vaguely remembered entering a room, a dark and cold room. But anything after that or whatever had happened in that room she could not remember. What was going on with her?

She sighed. Where was Mokuba? Why hadn't he come with help yet? She shivered; it was extremely cold in the room.

With her shiver, something within her memory sparked as if it wasn't the first time she had shivered. Maybe that mysterious room in the warehouse she couldn't remember was the room she was in right now. But why was it that she couldn't remember anything?

It didn't make any sense.

It wasn't long before something had happened. The dark room she was in had suddenly stirred, a door in front of her opening and casting a ray of light into the room. She closed her eyes when they came into contact with the light, her pupils shrinking with a small pain.

"Who's there?" she barked to the person who had opened the door.

At first, she could see nothing but a dark silhouette. And, very slowly, her blue eyes became more used to the light and she was able to depict a few features of this person.

There was the glint of golden jewelry, the disturbance of platinum blond hair with a small movement, and the outline of dark cargo pants…

And then, Téarealized that it was Namu standing before her.

Her first reaction was immediate, one of relief as it washed over her with a calming presence. She had almost forgotten how Namu was with her and Joey when the Rare Hunters had snatched them, and smashed her cell phone.

"Namu, I-"

But then she stopped herself as her instinct clicked in. If Namu was indeed a prisoner, he would have his own set of Rare Hunter guards with him, escorting him around. But as it so happened, he was alone. And, he was smirking. So was Namu in on the whole thing as well? Was he one of Marik's drones, working for him brainlessly as he lulled her and Joey into a false sense of trust? Or, was his mind in the control of Marik's now and this wasn't the real Namu?

And then, there was something else that shuffled in her chain of memories… something with Namu…

"Namu?" came Namu's own distinct voice. "Come now, Téa, don't tell me you've already forgotten. It wasn't that long ago when last we met."

With Namu's statement- or who ever he was- it was confirmed to Téa that there was definitely something that she didn't remember. So, was Namu with her earlier?

"I…I-I don't know what you're talking about," she said defiantly, trying to strengthen her voice so she would sound courageous and unafraid, if only marginally. The result, she had to admit, was pretty pathetic.

"Pity," Namu mused to himself as he stepped farther into the room. Intuitively, Téa shrank back from him as he got closer, getting as far away from him as the chair would allow her. She knew Namu was most certainly not a good guy.

"Who are you?" she asked, voice echoing off the walls and shaking with her fear at the same time. With her tone, Namu's smirk only grew as he approached. When he was directly in front of her, he bent down, lowering his face until it was even with her, and just inches away. She shivered again.

"Who am I, you ask?" he said. He lifted his hand and placed it gently on her face. She tried turning away from him.

"Get away!" she hissed in a hoarse voice, throat suddenly dry. He ignored her, leaving his sun-tanned hand on her pale face.

"Who am I?" he repeated, voice superciliously. "I thought I made it quite clear in our last conversation. However, you don't remember anything of that, do you?"

Her only response was the widening of her sapphire blue eyes. It was as if to her, there was no need to answer; he seemed to know the answer to everything.

It was a confirmation to him, all the same as he moved again- hand drifting from her cheek to her neck. His fingers twitched threateningly, slightly tightening as if to show Téa that her life was at the mercy of his whim. As if she needed reminding.

"Enlighten me," she said in a coldly sarcastic tone. His smirk disappeared, replaced with that of an angry frown. And, as such, his fingers tightened around her neck again, this time maintaining the sharp pressure for a few moments before releasing the tension. She gave a small gasp of surprise, terror, and of the small pain he had caused.

"You might want to watch your tone," he said roughly. She grimaced as he waited for a few more moments- as though he were keeping his temper in check- before he replied again.

"I was wondering what your general reaction to me would have been, had I not been under the alias of someone you thought you trusted." Téa blinked, shocked at his words.

"An alias?" she managed to whisper with her fear-constricted throat. His smirk returned.

"Yes, an alias. Care to know what my real name is or would you prefer to guess?" With his question, there was a small glow about his forehead in the shape of an eye, and- suddenly- some sort of mental constraint released its grip and the memories came back to her.

"Marik!" she gasped tonelessly. He nodded, a look of triumphant dancing about in his violet eyes.

"Tell me, Téa, do you feel weak? Do you feel unbearably helpless knowing that your memories, your entire mind, is at my complete control?" He had that sadistic voice again, the one from earlier.

And then, his words took shape in her mind as she realized something. He had _blocked_ the memories of what occurred between the two of them earlier- of him kissing her. And she instinctively knew that he was the one to release the memories, allowing her to know what had happened so she could accurately guess his name. And, finally, she also realized that she was shaking, very badly.

Her trembling frame told him all he needed to know.

With the hand that was not on her throat, he pressed a nearby button on the chair- a button that would have been impossible for her to reach on her own- and the chair's restraints disappeared, leaving her free to move about. However, she was unable to- not because of Marik's control over her, but because of her own state of terror.

With this same hand that had pressed the button, he grabbed her left, upper arm and pulled her out of the chair, only to harshly shove her against the nearby wall. Unlike the hand on her neck, the hand around her arm was unmercifully tight. The hand on her throat stroked the length of her neck.

Téa forced her eyes shut, not wanting any of this to happen but still hearing his voice when he next spoke.

"This should be fun," he decided to himself

* * *

Very fun to write, even if slightly disturbing. I'm excited to see what happens next. I got the inspiration to write more Marik after reading some of The Duelist's Heiress' _Powers Revealed_. Which you should read if you have not done so at this point.

Reveiw, as always. Please.

**_-Nuit Songeur_**


	3. Either Way, You Lose

**A/N:** I love the fan response I'm getting from this, especially from TDH. So much, I updated rather quickly. A note to people who don't read my LiveJournal, there will be a total of 20 chapters in this. Hope you enjoy!

**Warnings:** What can I say? Definitely not intended for a younger audience.

* * *

_"For either way you choose, you cannot win."_  
-The Phantom from _Phantom of the Opera_.

* * *

Marik looked at Téa, the one he was holding captive against the wall. She was trembling and, despite the position she was in, she shied away from him. From his touch, from his voice, from him in general. He felt a pent-up frustration. Why was she acting this way? When he was Namu, she had held no barriers against him. She didn't have the expression that hinted she'd rather fall off a cliff than be here, with him. Nothing had changed. The only thing that was different was the name she knew him as. So why the reluctance?

She had her eyes closed, as if by some chance wishing all this was just a nightmare gone awry. And that simple comparison of being a nightmare infuriated Marik.

"Look at me," he growled, impulsively twitching his fingers. They tightened around her neck in response. With that small action, her eyelids flew open abruptly revealing the wide and practically too-innocent orbs they were. When she had obeyed him, the fingers on her neck relaxed, touching the skin just barely. However, the hand on her arm he kept constricting- showing her his superiority, in a way. He ignored the small gasps of pain she gave in reaction to the bruise he was forming on her arm.

Quietly, he surveyed her with a contemplative expression and calm eyes. Eyes the color of lavender. Eyes that simmered with anticipation. He lowered his face down next to hers. With his hand resting on her neck, he drew away a section of her hair, clearing the obstruction between his lips and her ear. She shivered when he brushed his lips lightly against her earlobe before speaking.

"Say my name," he whispered, keeping his voice remarkably cool and level. "Say my name, Téa."

Her breathing was ragged but she remained silent. As if to… _prompt_ her to speak, he tightened his grip around her arm, causing her to give an audible yelp of her suffering. After the noise, she hastily tried to satisfy him.

"Ma-Marik," she panted out. He gave a smile, though she would have been unable to see it.

"Yes, you'd do well to learn it. Though, I do wonder, was there another name you had for me? A name you thought you trusted?" She answered him before he had a chance to give the slightest flex of his hand.

"Namu," she whispered out in a small voice, as if the word itself gave her pure agony. He moved the hand that wasn't wrapped around her arm to the back of her head and began petting her hair with small, careful motions.

"Though, I wonder," he mused aloud. "Why, as Marik, you treat me so differently than me, as Namu. I am the same person. Surely you remember that from our previous encounter, do you not, Téa? I _did_ give you the memories back."

Her only response was a single sob that choked her throat momentarily.

"Well, what is it then? You were so apt to be underneath my hands then. What's so different now? I just changed names, is all."

Again, she said nothing, only her body shaking with her silent sobs. Her lack of response was annoying him, boring him. And so, in an angry flash, he flung her away, casting her to the floor. She collapsed and, slowly, regained balance- lifting herself up on her hands and knees when free of his grasp. He allowed her a moment to right herself, letting her turn around to face him.

"_Well?!_" he thundered. She methodically massaged her left arm, where his hand had been, and to his surprise and enjoyment, he saw that she was glaring at him. Eyebrows arched precariously over her shiny, sapphire eyes.

"You lied to me- to us!" she defended in a hard voice, a voice that slightly shook. A sign that Marik had long since learned that it meant a girl was close to tears, if not already crying.

But no, Téa wouldn't cry. At least, not where he could see it. She was strong like that, strong and proud. Two traits that impressed him.

"People lie everyday," he countered. "The only thing I lied about was my name." Her jaw clenched, squaring her face and showing that she was quite upset.

"That's not what I meant!" she snapped. "You led me to believe that you were some innocent duelist in the Battle City tournament-"

"I _am_ a duelist in the Battle City tournament," he said matching her emotional voice with an even one.

"You weren't innocent!" she said sharply. "You brainwashed unwilling victims to do your bidding. And you got your goons to hurt Yugi and Joey." Marik cracked a mischievous grin.

"Brainwash?" he questioned. "Would you care to go into elaboration on that? Like how I'm able to do this brainwashing notion you're prattling on about?"

She sat, seething, and said nothing more, simply resolving to glare at him with hate-filled eyes. He took a step toward her, which made her scoot away from him. The action, however, only made his smirk widen as he lowered himself to the ground, squatting just three feet away from her.

"Tell me, Téa, what do you think of this brainwashing? If you are correct in your assumptions and I can indeed control people's minds, don't you think I would be able to control yours? That this power of hypnotism could, at my very whim, control your every action- whether it would be willingly or unwillingly?"

Her eyes lost their glare as they grew in size, signaling her uncertainty and fear. It only made _his_ eyes flash with a hint of eagernessrevealing white teeth with a smirk, amazingly vivid against his tanned skin. Marik reached behind him, and pulled out a scepter that had been previously tucked away in one of the belt loops on his cargo pants. He took out this item that matched his golden jewelry in color and tone. Téa's eyes fell upon the artifact with apprehension and confusion. Marik had to stifle a chuckle.

"I'm glad you understand- even if minutely- my capabilities," he noted casually, as if the object he was holding was of no importance.

She didn't know what he was holding, at least, not a first glance. The way he held it made the distinguishable Millennium eye symbol invisible to her. So, she wouldn't recognize it, yet. Idly, he twirled it around slowly with his fingers, letting the light from outside the room to dance on the metal, streaks of white flashes passing over it. Téa's eyes followed the movements of the item cautiously.

Marik stopped the slow twirling and held it vertically. He paused for a moment before he spoke again.

"Tell me Téa, how do you think I'm able to achieve this brainwashing technique? Do you believe it's a complicated science or do you think it's merely a work of magic? I'm anxious to hear your theories, considering you background suggests the latter."

"I... how do…what?" she merely spluttered out. Marik smoothed his facial features out, smirk gone. To provide for a wordless explanation, he twisted his rod around so she would be able to see the Egyptian insignia. Her blue eyes fell on it immediately and her mouth hung open, agape slightly with bewilderment.

"You... You have a Millennium item!" she gasped out. He smirked back, confirming her statement.

"I see that you are not ignorant of the existence of Millennium items," he said, slightly mocking her. "But, do you really know of their true power?" He transferred from his squat to a crouch and slowly began advancing toward her, cornering her to the opposite wall. Like a predator would do to its prey. And, right now, he was the predator and Téa was his prey.

"You've seen Pegasus read people's minds with his eye, you've seen the spirit of Bakura's ring take over his mind, you've seen Ishizu predict the future with her necklace, and you've seen the pharaoh force his own mind over Yugi, during their duels, and controlling his body with the puzzle. But that's just a fraction of their power and you've never seen my Millennium rod in action."

Suddenly, Marik pounced. He landed on top of Téa, hands on either side of her face, legs straddling her waist. She was trapped, within his grasp. Not that she wasn't already. He took the rod, and ran its tip across her jaw as she turned her face away from him. A tremor ran through her body and Marik chuckled menacingly.

"That's right, Téa, be afraid. My rod _does_ have the power to control people, brainwash them as you put it." He placed his free hand over her cheek and felt a warm blush beneath his fingertips. The feeling pleased him, aroused something within him. "So, no matter what you do, you're trapped, forced to fulfill my whims. Either with your consent or without it. Though, I'd rather not _brainwash _you. The choice is yours."

He leaned down, face even with hers, lavender eyes locked on sapphire ones. The predator's lips just inches away from his prey's.

"So, what will it be, Téa?" he purred. "Are you willing to trust me? Or are you going to make me use the rod?" He gave a slight jab with his Millennium item for emphasis. "Either way, I win…" He leaned further…

The door flew open and a silhouetted figure appeared in the door frame. Instantly, Marik lifted his face to the cloaked visitor, infuriated. He hated being interrupted.

"Master Marik," came Odion's voice.

"I thought I said not to-"

"There has been a problem, with your latest plan." Marik's face cleared of its anger as he slowly rose to his feet.

"Oh," he said. "I see." With a movement of his hand, he had secured the rod back into his belt loop and quickly left the room, without a word to the cowering girl he'd left shaking.

* * *

So, there is chapter three. No one said it wouldn't be disturbing. But, oddly enough, that's what I love about it. Now, that fact that I'm perfectly _sane_ has left to be undecided.

Review, please!

**_-Nuit Songeur_**


	4. A Journeying Mind

**A/N:** Hello everyone! Sorry- didn't want to keep you waiting too long. But, I've got chapter four up and ready to go! Hope you enjoy! And a big warm and chocolatey thank you to The Duelist's Heiress for being Super-Beta!! (Yes- that's her new award)

**Warnings:** Possible gigiantic cliffhanger. Manipulashipping. And...yeah.

* * *

"_Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world. Leave all thought of the life you knew before."  
_-The Phantom from _The_ _Phantom of the Opera._

* * *

Téa waited for what seemed like an eternity before making any movements or- to the very least- attempting to do so. Marik had long since been gone, left to fix some snag that had appeared in one of his plans. She couldn't begin to convey how grateful she was when that interruption showed up.

She hadn't cried through this whole ordeal. At least, not yet. She was determined not show Marik her fear or her at her weakest. She would prove to him that she wasn't easily subdued. All the same, it was her pride that kept her from breaking down at that very moment. Pride that she was determined to cling to so she would remain even minutely sane and clear-headed.

After about a point where the seconds seemed to tick into endless minutes, Téa shifted- straightening from her fetal position to lift herself up. She then wrapped her arms around her legs, face level with her knees.

Maybe her situation wouldn't seem half as bad if Marik didn't have that frightening ability to take over her mind. Without that small, mystical factor, she at least felt she had some chance against him. Maybe not a very probable chance, but still…

Where was Marik now? How long would he be gone? And what did he plan to do once he got back? Téa shivered at the last question- not wanting to know the answer. She had a pretty good idea of what he had in mind; it wasn't that hard to figure out as much.

Where were Yugi and Mokuba and Seto Kaiba and Joey? Why hadn't they come to rescue her from this place she had come to dread? Why was she still here?

She sighed, unable to come up with answers to any of her questions. So what was she to do now? She didn't know if she could stay here any longer and still keep her sanity. What was this all about anyways; trading cards or just the sadistic whims of a madman?

The room was as dark and cold as ever- the same from the last time she'd remembered being in there with the supposed Namu. But something was different about it this time. And that something seemed to be coming from the door…

Téa turned her head to look and saw the light from outside penetrating the room's darkness. She stared at it in confusion; that seemed to be odd. Why was the light showing through the cracks now when it hadn't before?

Slowly and very cautiously, Téa crawled her way to the door, careful not to make any startling noises as her movements where echoed by the metal room. When Téa had reached the door, she examined the entryway and discovered why light was peeking into the room.

It was still open.

However, only slightly. Just enough to produce a crack large enough to filter yellow light from the hall. Téa gasped in slight disbelief at her luck, quickly covering her mouth with her hand.

Was this her chance of escape? Was this some miracle thrown at her by some merciful force from above? Could it really be happening that she had an opportunity to leave this place? Would Marik be this careless to leave the door open? She checked the knob; it was locked- just not completely shut. Téa was about to eagerly slip through the door before she abruptly stopped herself.

Would Marik _really_ be this careless? It seemed highly unlikely. Even though he was obviously insane, he wasn't stupid. Was he setting up some kind of trap for her, right now? Expecting her to walk out only to end up recapturing her again? _Was _Marik really _that _careless?

At that point, Téa had to make a decision. Risk everything and try to escape? Or stay here, without even trying to leave? She weighed her options and decided that escaping was at least worth a try…

As silently as she could, Téa pulled at the door, making the opening wider and easier for her to slip through. When she had safely made it out into the brightly lit hall, she stood up and turned to close the door, hearing the lock click into place. Now if someone were to pass by, suspicions of her escape wouldn't arise. Just yet, at least. They would have to unlock the door and then take a good look inside before figuring out she had left.

She took a deep breath and looked anxiously around the hall. Right or left? Which way was out? Which way should she go? Téa felt her pulse quicken as she realized she was at a standstill. She didn't know where to go; one wrong turn and she'd end up being captured again.

There was a sound, coming from the left. Téa froze, straining her ears. The noise seemed to be people conversing with each other. And the sound helped prompt her decision as she impulsively went right, making her way out of the hall as quickly as possible.

At the end of the hall, she turned and saw the open space of the warehouse spread out before her. It was untidy, extremely cluttered with various boxes and other such items. There was more noise coming at the far end of the room and she instinctively ducked down behind a large pile of these boxes and waited until the room was completely silent before moving once again.

When she stood up after a few minutes, Téa looked around the large room. To her dismay, she could find no door or other means of exit. She sighed before swiftly traversing the length of the room, eager to get out of this place.

She was met with yet another hall, more broader than the last, and interspersed with a variety of other corridors. She hesitated before each one, sweat gathering on her back as she wondered where to go. After a few moments of examination, she took the largest passageway, going left this time. It seemed more inviting.

Téa followed this hall as it intertwined this way and that. She noticed how there were no more hallways that branched off from this one. Upon this realization, she sped up her pace, afraid she might run into one of the Rare Hunters.

However, to her relief, she did not run into any as she finally reached the end of the hall, a large metal door blocking her path. Taking a deep breath, she went up to this door, grasped its latch, and, with one firm heave, managed to wrench it open. She jumped slightly at the loud noise it made, praying with all her might that no one had heard her opening the door.

When she managed to shove the door open enough for her to step through, a wide room revealed itself to her, filled with bright light. Téa blinked away her temporary blindness and gasped at what she saw.

This room must have been adjoined to the ocean for there was a very large motorboat standing imperiously before her. The room was cut directly in half: one part was solid concrete, the other consisted of water. And it was in the water that the boat resided. Across from Téa was a large wall that looked as if it were a garage door for boats to enter and exit.

Forsaking her predicament momentarily, Téa went over to the boat to gaze at it curiously. Why would Marik have a boat here; unless that was how he got in Domino city in the first place? Did that mean he was from overseas? Then why cross oceans just to win a card game tournament in a small, insignificant city?

From the corner of her eye, Téa caught something dark in the bright room. She turned to see a dark purple cloak draped over the railing that separated concrete from the water. With one quick sweeping gaze of the room to confirm that she was really alone, Téa cautiously tread her way over to the cloak.

It was just like any other cloak the Rare Hunters wore. So why would they just leave it lying around? And then, an idea came to Téa's mind. She could use the cloak to disguise herself as a Rare Hunter so she could escape without detection. She picked up the dark-colored cloth from its spot and, as she did so, something drifted to the floor. Téa looked down, seeing something white. Paper?

She bent down to pick it up and saw that it wasn't just paper, it was a photograph. The photograph was faded slightly, hinting at its age. And the simple picture depicted three young people.

One was female, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. The same color of Kaiba's. Her clothing was that of a long, cream-colored dress robe. And gold jewelry was displayed around her neck, on her ears, around her head… She seemed the oldest of the three, the one that held the solemn, most mature smile.

And then, Téa remembered the woman from the museum that she persuaded Yami to see. The one that warned them all of this. Ishizu Ishtar was her name. But why…?

And then it hit Téa: Ishizu had said that Marik was her brother!

Téa looked at the other two. One was only slightly younger than Ishizu, bald, and had a face marred by hieroglyphic tattoos. But the third person…

Unmistakably, it was Marik. Though granted, he was a lot younger when the picture was taken. He just looked like a small boy. But his platinum blond hair, sharp lavender eyes, and tanned skin did nothing to disguise the appearance of Marik Ishtar.

But there was something…different.

In this picture, Marik looked a lot different than he did now. Not just because of physical appearance changing over time. Rather it seemed as if the innocence in his eyes had turned malicious, the carefree smile of a boy hardened into a mocking replica of true happiness. And Téa found herself smiling at the picture and- beyond all rational belief- felt sorry for Marik. If he had been this happy at some point in his life, then something had to have happened to make him into the person he was now. Téa even thought she could understand Ishizu's motives for wanting to save her brother.

_Poor Marik_, Téa could only think. _I wonder if…_

Téa's thoughts trailed off momentarily but then she shook herself into awareness. What was she thinking, pitying Marik? Marik was a bad person and didn't deserve her pity. Whatever happened to him was his problem, and his alone. Just because she saw a picture of him when he was younger didn't justify everything he did.

Téa sighed, unable to convince herself that Marik was entirely a bad person. If Ishizu still had faith in him, then… What if…

She had to be careful. Her mind was journeying to strange thoughts. She couldn't forget everything he did just because-

"And what do we have here?" asked a cold voice from behind her. "Snooping around, are we?" Téa jumped, turned around, and found herself facing the one she had just moments before pitied.

* * *

Yes, I ended it on one of those pivotal character reaction moments. So sorry. But notice how the characters are progressing... Again, thank you to The Duelist's Heiress for being a wonderful Beta.

Please review- don't let TDH's hard work go to waste!

**_-Nuit Songeur_**


	5. Why So Silent, Do Tell

**A/N:** Hello to all my readers! Sorry I haven't update in a while- I been extraordinarily busy. But, I'm back with yet another chapter that you might find interesting...

**Beta:** The Duelist's Heiress (I'd like everyone to give a round of applause to her!)

**Warnings:** There are _hints_ at sexual innuendos and/or reactions. Only hints, however. I'm a very discreet writer when it comes to the physical attraction but I let you know just enough to show you what's going. If you don't get it, that's fine. It's not focal to the story. (Shows what a terrible romance writer I am- BUT.... on to the story!)

_

* * *

_

_"Why so silent, good messieurs? Did you think that I had left you for good?"  
_**-The Phantom, from _The Phantom of the Opera_.**

* * *

Marik contemplated Téa with his cold, lavender eyes- not meaning to portray the cold emotion of stoicism but somehow, he managed the effect with years of habit as he saw Téa wincing nervously before him. She took a step back, as if subconsciously trying to dodge out of the way of danger.

He wasn't going to hurt her; at least, he hadn't intended to do so. Still, with his unforgiving manner, how could he expect any other reaction from her? It bothered him- the way she feared him. And it also bothered him that she had taken her escape at first chance. Was she so repulsed by him that she would rather take a risk with facing his cruel henchmen? What was he to her? Just a sadistic madman, out to dominate the world?

This bothered him.

Moreover, it also bothered him how he had purposefully left the door to her cell unlocked and open. It wasn't he _wanted_ her to leave, it was just that a small part of his conscience had told him to do so, that it was for the best. Now that conscience seemed smothered once he had set out to look for her– in a primal pursuit to claim what was his.

But, the issue still stood: she wasn't his to claim. And he believed _that _bothered him the most.

His penetrating gaze transferred from her wary, blue eyes and down to her shaking hand that held a piece of paper. A piece of paper that seemed yellowed with age, quality, and wear. It looked familiar and he knew exactly what it was: a childhood photograph of him and his two older siblings: Odion and Ishizu. Marik felt his eyes widen just slightly as he looked back to Téa's eyes, seeing something that had not been there earlier.

Marik had long since learned the art of reading a human's emotions through the gateways of their eyes. He had to when handling with the mystics of mind control. But how much he could tell of a person's inner workings mostly depended on the sole individual. Females, when compared to males, were both harder and easier to read. They liked to display their emotions just so blatantly but also loved to mask them. But again, it all depended on the situation. Téa was no different. Fear was there, just as it had been as well as the stubborn ability to remain firm. But there was something else, something that hadn't been there before. And it unnerved him, forcing him to take a moment and regain his bearings.

She pitied him.

He was Marik Ishtar, owner of the Millennium Rod. Owner of the most powerful Egyptian god card- the Winged Dragon of Ra. Leader and master of the fierce and ruthless organization known as the Rare Hunters. Someone who had risen from living in poverty in the Egyptian desert to moving across oceans to be feared and respected by rivals. Why in the world would anyone want to pity _him_? Why would he need such frivolous regards? So she saw a picture of him when he was a child, it didn't mean anything! Everyone was a child at some point, everyone had their own bout of innocence when in the younger stages of life. Just because he had lost that, like any other human would, didn't mean he needed pity.

He took a step closer to her and, to his surprise, she didn't step back from him. So, he continued to approach her, finding it in his fancy to walk around Téa until he was standing right behind her, close enough to breathe down her neck. He refrained from any such impulse, however, as he placed his tanned hands on her shoulders. She continued not to shy away from him. And he bent down closer, to whisper in her ear.

"You don't seem as terrified as you usually do. At least, you've found no reason to fear me, for the moment. Or maybe you've found some sort of evidence to prove that I'm not worth fearing." He heard her breath catch in her throat, as if suppressing a protest to that statement, but continued to stay silent. Marik inhaled deeply, trying not lose his resolve. And, with the action, Téa's scent crashed into him in one stumbling moment. It was a soft smell, nothing like the extravagance of the generation's designer perfume that he had the displeasure of acknowledging when passing by some department store. Rather, it was more of a homely aroma. A hint of her lavender laundry detergent, some sort of strawberry shampoo, and maybe some mingled vanilla.

He found it strangely erotic.

Several ideas crossed his mind, most of which were none too appropriate for his own conservative morals, and he fought every impulse with as much strength he could call upon. It made him weak at the knees but the only reaction that could be discerned was the slight tightening of his grip on her shoulders. Somehow he managed to not make this grip as tight as the grip he had on her earlier; it may have bothered him that she pitied him, but he still didn't want to frighten her away, especially after the sudden burning sensation he felt coursing through his veins moments before. He leaned his head forward slightly, to see more of her expression and saw something very surprising to him.

She was completely oblivious to his sudden burst of arousal.

"Well?" he said, voice slightly muffled and husky after what had just occurred. "Why are you so quiet? Certainly you have no need to fear me, after seeing the proof before you of my innocence as a child. Am I correct?" Téa seemed to shift uncomfortably beneath his grasp.

"Well I… I…" she stammered, unsure of what to say. Marik exhaled, realizing that, with that last breath, he hadn't been breathing. His release of air seemed to clear his head a bit more, allowing rational thought to once again become his central focus. Becoming more impatient at her unresponsiveness, Marik turned her whole body around to face him, hands moving down from her shoulders to her upper arms. She still held the picture and he briefly looked down to it, considering it, before turning his complete attention to her. He felt as his eyes bore into hers, trying to force a somewhat soft look on his features but after seeing the reaction on her face, failed utterly.

"It _is_ not a crime to speak in this situation, Téa," he said calmly. "If it will relieve your tension, you're not in any trouble here. And why should you be? You are, in fact, the guest." He felt a smirk minutely lift the corner of his mouth at his small joke. She, however, very deliberately avoided his eyes, averting them to his feet. He frowned; he didn't like being ignored. He shook her slightly.

"I said speak, Téa!" he growled, a more of a dark undertone lining his voice. He took a hand and placed it underneath her chin, titling it up towards his face so he could see eye to eye with her. Unintentionally, the movement of his hand was rather quick and seemed to take her by surprise. She took a sharp intake of breath as she was jolted forward. Instinctively, she grabbed the nearest thing to catch herself so she wouldn't fall. And the nearest thing she managed to take hold of was his shirt. In response to her momentary clumsiness, Marik dropped the hand on her arm to wrap around her waist.

Everything seemed to happen in a flash that it took a few painstaking moments for Téa to realize the fact that she was indeed quite close to Marik. She looked up at him and he saw her pale cheeks flush instantly. This stumped Marik, unsure what the reddening of her face could possibly mean. Was she embarrassed for the position she seemed inevitably thrown in? Or was it more? That she was actually shy with her feelings? The latter choice seemed to be a fleeting wish for Marik; he wasn't able to fully believe that someone could actually have feelings for him, beyond the platonic sense.

And, even more to his surprise, she didn't immediately let go of his shirt like he had expected. Instead, she stared up at him, for some time. And it wasn't until after a few minutes until she seemed to realize that she was actually holding onto his shirt- to which she hastily disengaged her own hand from. But Marik was quite intrigued by her hesitancy and wasn't going to let the moment pass. He smirked again, not removing his arm from around her waist and tilted her face up to him with the hand that was still on her face.

"What's wrong, Téa? You seem embarrassed." She frowned indignantly, her own pride showing through.

"I'm not… I'm not embarrassed," she objected, her blush refusing to fade away. Marik continued to smirk.

"If you are not embarrassed, what is it, then?"

"I don't-" she began to protest before he cut her off. Impulsively, his hand wandered from underneath her chin and found its way to her right earlobe. He stroked the soft skin of the earlobe, gently applying pressure with his forefinger. The spot, he knew, was a weak spot for most people- made them submit in an odd way- and, to his satisfaction, made her shiver uncontrollably. He tightened his arm around her.

It was in that moment, when her frame shook against his, that he felt the need, the raw desire to make Téa his to claim even though he had deduced earlier she was not his to claim. Her moment of weakness, her moment of submission to his touch, enthralled him beyond words. Reflexively, he wrapped his arm around her waist even tighter, bringing her body closer to his and he felt her small, airy breaths against his neck. Her first reaction was wrapping her own arms around him, due to the sheer close proximity. But, upon realizing what she did, she instantly removed them from his torso and gave a small whimper of uncertainty, confusion, and distress.

"Why do you seem surprised, Téa? You had to know this attraction was there. I know you feel it," Marik said. The last statement was entirely an assumption, going out on a limb for his own benefit. For his own self confidence. He didn't know whether or not this was way females reacted to physical attraction or spurs of the moment. And, he was afraid to be wrong because he realized that, most of all, he feared rejection.

**-o-o-o-**

Téa didn't know what to do because, even though she hated it, she _did _feel this odd attraction, this pull, this _lust_ for Marik. An attraction or lust that went far beyond her better judgment.

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Well, I hope you've enjoyed it. Please review and hopefully the next chapter will come out sooner!

**_-Nuit Songeur_**


	6. Entering Black Despair

**A/N:** I'm back with yet another new chapter! Riddled with many Phantom of the Opera references. I hope you enjoy!

**Beta:** The Duelist's Heiress

**Warnings:** My obsession with the Phantom is clearly showing through.

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"_Down once more to the dungeons of my black despair."  
_-The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's _**The Phantom of the Opera**_

* * *

The attraction Téa felt frightened her. It wasn't like other times when she simply liked guys and infatuated over them. Though both were based on a physical draw, the one she felt towards Marik was different, somehow stronger. Like there was a magnetic pull on her body towards the foreign teenager. She didn't like this, she _wasn't_ supposed to like Marik or have any type of feelings for him other than loathing. He was her captor; he didn't really care for her, didn't like her. If anything, he just led her on simply for his own sadistic pleasure. Because that was what he was: sadistic.

And yet, despite these careful boundaries she tried to exhibit, the pull of Téa's body didn't relinquish its potency. And being so physically _close _to him didn't help her better judgment one bit. She wormed her arms between her and his chest and tried pushing him away from her. Though, he was male. And males were generally stronger than their female counterparts and, as such, he wouldn't allow for any such escape. With her small, pathetic attempt, she felt him frown against her neck.

"And where do you think you're going?" he asked, displeased. "You can't honestly think you have anywhere to go." She felt his grip tighten- as if territorially- on her in response. And she grit her teeth, really wishing he would stop this. Marik lowered his head down even further, ducking his face until she felt his lips lightly come into contact with her skin. And that was where she built her resolve.

With a large and powerful thrust she didn't know she was capable of,Téa managed shove Marik away from her. She figured that the force she held behind her resistance was what held her favor; otherwise, Marik would not have let go. And, as he blinked at her in surprise, she took advantage of the moment and widened the distance between them by taking a few steps back, forcing a stern glare onto her face. But, Marik recovered quickly and matched her glare with one of his own. And, Téa had to admit, his was much more intimidating.

"What's this?!" he exclaimed furiously. "You… you reject me?" The assumption seemed to hold some hidden pain for him. Pain that he wasn't going to display blatantly but rather mask it as rage. Still, Téa saw the hurt and couldn't help but feel guilty. Despite what he had just done to her and done earlier to Yugi. So, her forceful glare was somewhat a difficult task to maintain.

"Reject you?" she countered. "How can I reject you when you didn't even ask for anything? You just assumed and went for it!" Her face instinctively flushed, as it is what females do when their pride is stung or, like Téa was, angry. Marik took a few steps toward her. And Téa took that many steps away, keeping the space between them. Marik froze, examining the floor between them and then transferring his gaze back to Téa. He contemplated her silently but then smirked.

"And you really think you're in any position to negotiate with me? Not only am I physically able to overpower you with ease but I've also got another trick up my sleeve. Have you so easily forgotten?" Téa eyes widened; she didn't forget about his Millennium item, it had just easily escaped the train of her current thoughts. But, all the same, Marik felt it necessary to reach behind his back and pull out the Millennium Rod from his belt loop, as proof that could demonstrate any mere whim he so desired. Téa tried swallowing her fear as she held her head up with what small amount of pride and dignity remained.

"Do you know what you are?" she asked, continuing to widen the gap between them. "You're just… just a pig! That's what you are. A pig! A spoiled brat who always has to get his way!" Marik stopped his advance, platinum blond eyebrows sharpening down into a frown. He lifted his Millennium artifact threateningly towards Téa.

"You throw around derogatory names as if there would be no consequence. Go ahead and call me a pig all you want. I don't have to prove otherwise to you-"

"Then why does it bother you so much?" she snapped. "You can't handle it if someone mocks you or offends you! You've always got to resort to your funny magic ways to show your superiority when in reality, it only proves that you're a coward." Téa knew she was testing her limits. And, she saw Marik's biceps visibly tense in anger, the slight corner of his frown twitching into a snarl.

"You try my patience, girl," he hissed through clenched teeth. "Why do you persist in throwing around careless insults?"

"I'm not going to succumb to you!" she said stubbornly. Marik froze in his tracks, as if Téa's rejecting finally hit home for him. But his temper didn't relinquish its hold. He continued to glare at her. His lavender eyes turned hard and cold and a small flare seemed to ignite within them.

"You _will_ succumb to me, Téa!" he growled. His grasp on the Rod tightened as he held it up to her. The eye within it glowed and Téa felt her mind being shaken, her reality being controlled. And from within the depths of her consciousness, she heard a sweet, tempting voice that lulled her into a hypnotic state.

"_Come to me, Téa. Listen to the sound of my voice. Obey my every command. Come to me, my blue-eyed angel."_

And, against her will, Téa felt her leg lift and take a step toward the direction she shied away from. She closed her eyes, trying to resist, and felt her sharp fingernails clawing into the palm of her hand as she tried fighting back against the puppeteer's voice.

"_You resist? Yet the soul will obey my command. It will satisfy what it truly wants, what _you_ truly want. Why bother hurting yourself?"_

_It's not what I want,_ Téa argued with the voice inside her head. However, its magnetic pull only increased with intensity and Téa found it even more difficult to defy Marik's command. She bit down on her lower lip as her other leg continued to move. Her teeth were biting down with so much force that she soon experienced the metallic taste of blood in her mouth.

Surprisingly enough, the action seemed to stall Marik's hypnotic voice as he took into account at what she just done. The moment gave her enough time to summon up her own will to form a sort of mental barrier around her mind. Though, weak as she could tell it was, it seemed to stump him as his next words were vocal.

"COME TO ME!" he bellowed angrily.

"No!" she shrieked, feeling her exhausted knees give way underneath her as she fell to the ground, onto her bottom. And suddenly, she heard his voice above her, remarkably soft and somewhat broken. Though, with her sudden fatigue from the mental attack, she couldn't tell whether or not if it was his vocal or mental voice.

"Why Téa? Why do you resist me so?"

"I… I… I can't…" she wasn't exactly sure of what she was trying to say. I can't speak. I can't move. I can't feel anything. She just knew she was incapable of doing anything as a result of his mental attack. He seemed to understand this though because soon thereafter, she felt herself being lifted from the ground, her legs swinging through midair as someone cradled her. And it took a moment for her to realize that that someone was Marik. She tried opening her eyes to look at him but couldn't find the strength to do so.

"Wha…what…?" she tried to ask, her voice just a small mumbling. He only shushed her with a soft noise and spoke to her mentally.

"_Don't speak,_" said his voice. _"I'm sorry Téa, it is my fault that you're in this state. Now I can understand why you reject me so. I'm just a monster behind this human mask."_

"You're not-" Téa began to protest. He stopped her, however.

"_Do not speak,"_ he repeated. There was silence for a few moments before, _"Maybe you'll learn to find the man behind the monster."_

"But I-"

"_Sleep,"_ commanded the voice. And sleep she did, obeying him voluntarily for the first time.

**-o-o-o-**

Téa blinked, finding herself within the belly of an extremely dark room. She looked around, unable to feel her body. But rather, she only felt her limbs through the haze of fuzziness. And she realized she was dreaming. Looking ahead, she saw Marik's figure standing a ways before her. And she realized that the room wasn't entirely dark. At least, not like it was moments before when she had first blinked. There seemed to be a yellowish light behind Marik's form, causing her to only glimpse his silhouette. From this angle, she could only see that he had his back turned toward her.

"I'm sorry for being nothing but a pitiful creature of darkness," came his voice.

"You're not a pitiful creature of darkness."

"Yes I am!" he hissed. "I was lonely and I forced you to face the dungeons of my black despair because of it. It is why you refuse, is it not?"

"Not quite," she said sheepishly.

"Then what?!" he bellowed. Suddenly she found his face before hers, simply inches away and a new light illuminating where they were for she could see every detail of his face. His self-pitying face.

"What is it you want from me?" she asked helplessly, feeling tears sting her eyes. "You create a false identity for us to believe. Kidnap me and Joey to use as collateral against our friend who you plan to trap in the shadow realm after you take over the world, plunging all society into chaos. And now it's as if you want me to sleep with you!" Marik gazed upon her face silently, contemplatively.

"No, I don't want to sleep with you," he noted after a while. "What is it that I want? What is it that anyone wants? Acceptance. And I simply prefer it from you. Perhaps it's because I love you." His tone was soft, soothing. And darkly persuasive.

"You don't love me. If anything you just lust after me. If you want my acceptance you're going to have to earn it. Not expect me to pity you."

"But you pity me already." Téa grimaced with those words because she knew they were true.

"Pity doesn't earn acceptance. Respect does. And if you want me to respect you, you have to give me a reason to do so." He continued to stare at her, surprisingly without anger.

"Perhaps I might do that," he noted quietly, more to himself than for her own benefit. It was silent for a few minutes before Téa voiced a question.

"Where are we? It feels as though I'm dreaming."

"You're not dreaming, not exactly. Your physical body took quite a blow when you resisted the powers of my Millennium Rod and so now you are physically resting. I took your subconscious mind here to speak with you."

"And where is here, exactly?"

"Isn't it obvious? My own mind. Can't you tell from the darkness and how it's so lonely?"

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I hope you enjoyed! Please, review as always!

**_-Nuit Songeur_**


	7. A Shadowy Figure

**A/N: **Thank you everyone who had been reviewing and subscribing in my absence. I've been quite busy since I've last updated this with some real-life stuff. I could go into detail but details about such things would take a chapter on its own. Some notes to heed before we get started (all this is on my LiveJournal, by the way): I am sad to Why do you ask? Although I've enjoyed writing it (it HAS been quite thrilling to write at times), there's only so much I can milk from it. In the time setting from the actual series, Marik never actually held Téa captive for very long so that doesn't really give me much- in the sense of setting- to work with. Furthermore, I feel, as I am writing this, it's coming to a close.

A few notes to be considered, Deceived's ending may or may not hold that feeling of finality as most endings tend to have. The reason is, well, its ending is not the actual end. Deceived was originally written for filler, not AU purposes. The ending chapter of this does not constitue the ending chapter for Marik, Téa, or Marik and Téa as a single pairing because, if you'll remember correctly, there were times in the Battle City finals, in Season Three, where Marik used Téa's body as a means to communicate since his own was being controlled by his darker force. And, there was even a time in Season two where he used Téa's body to get to Bakura.

As far as the Phantom of the Opera elements go- as one reviewer has already mentioned, I do have quite an obsession with Phantom of the Opera (which, the flames were only fanned even more from since the time I've met TDH, my beta). And, to those of you who've read "Half Mask of Blood," my Phantom Fic, you might notice some more parallel themes along with some Phantom references (with the corresponding fanfic) that are more vague than the blatant previous ones.

**Beta:** The Duelist's Heiress

**Warnings:** Probable typos. And, I suggest rereading the previous chapter so the beginning and running theme of this isn't so confusing.

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"_Who was that shape in the shadows? Whose was the face in the mask?"  
_-Christine, _The Phantom of the Opera_

**Chapter Seven: A Shadowy Shape**

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"Yes," Marik reaffirmed. "I believe I will do just that."

It had been silent for several long minutes that Téa had expected the conversation to finished. After informing her that they were currently inside of his conscious mind, neither spoke a word to the other, therefore dropping conversation altogether. If he didn't feel any inclination to speak, Téa felt that she had no obligation to do so either. But now, he was musing to himself and about what, Téa had no idea.

"Do what?" she asked, breaking across his thoughts. He looked up at her, only moving his lavender eyes as they flickered up to her, a finger that had previously been touching his chin thoughtfully remained stationary, Millennium Rod poised within his grasp.

"I will give you a reason to respect me," he said simply. "I will show you who I am and what has made me who I am now." Téa's glance shifted apprehensively toward the rod he held in his hand and she looked back up to his face.

"And how will you do this?" she asked, tone wary. Marik smirked, easing from his pose as his arms fell to his sides, still clutching the Millennium Rod.

"Have you forgotten that you are still in my mind? Any concept or illusion I decide to conjure would be made possible at the slightest of whims." He lifted his Millennium Rod up to eye level and Téa initially shied away from it, taking a few steps back and turning her head away from.

"Do not be afraid, Téa," she heard his voice rang imperiously throughout the caverns of his mind. "I do not plan to harm you. Remember that photograph you found of me and my siblings? Remember the curiosity invoked by it? Some of that shall be satiated now…"

Téa closed her eyes as she felt a large gust of wind blowing past her. A bright light penetrated the thin membrane of her eyelids. So bright, she had to turn her head away from its source and hid it behind her thrown-up forearms. After a brief moment, however, the commotion ceased and left nothing but silence and stillness in its wake. She opened her eyes in response to the calmness. And what she saw made her gasp, thereby clamping a hand over her agape mouth.

Marik with the Millennium Rod was no longer there but, rather, there was a boyish version of him, shorter with the same hair color and style. He was sitting upright on a bed and his torso was covered in bandages. Téa only gazed at Marik's younger counterpart with solemn eyes, only able to wonder at what had happened.

"Pitiful isn't it?" asked an older voice from behind her. She turned to see the older Marik standing just a short distance away. Téa turned herself fully toward him.

"I thought the objective was to not pity," she pointed out. Marik shrugged and walked up to her, eyes trained on his younger self.

"That's not what I meant," he said quietly. "I was simply referring to the state I was in not necessarily how I wanted you to react to it." He sighed, turning away from her. "Perhaps a different tactic," he contemplated.

And, from his words, everything turned as black as pitch as Téa felt her consciousness no more.

**---**

"_Yugi? Yugi?" _

Téa heard a voice call. Her voice. She blinked, realizing she was somewhere else than she thought she had been placed. But, upon some reflection, she realized that she didn't remember where she was supposed to be at in the first place or what had occurred before this.

At the moment, she found herself wandering what seemed to be in an aimless fashion in the city of Domino on quite a foggy day. She spun around, taking in where she was at in large city and discovered that she was standing before the Mutou game shop. But why she was calling for Yugi, she had no idea. Though, she did have a feeling of suspicion seeded in the pit of her stomach. A feeling that told her that Yugi was in danger. Perhaps they were all in danger but she needed to find Yugi. Téa stepped up to the front door.

"Yugi!" she yelled desperately, banging on the door with a clenched fist. There was no answer. She made a groaning sigh at the lack of the game stop's response. Was Yugi's grandpa not even home?

She turned around and frantically shifted her head this way and that, trying to overcome the feeling of hopelessness building up inside of her as she tried to catch sight of some sort of hint that pointed the direction of the whereabouts of her friend. Just then, a loud and terrible roar filled the empty silence and Téa's eyes shifted to where she thought the source to be.

Toward the inner depths of the city, on top of one of its enormous sky scrapers, Téa saw what would be the form of a large dragon. A white dragon, perhaps the Blue Eyes White Dragon. Kaiba?

"Why would Kaiba be dueling on top of a building?" Téa asked herself, filling the silent void of the eerily quiet city. Maybe Kaiba would be her only shot at finding Yugi. Didn't he have that fancy tracking system installed into his new duel disks? She could find out where Yugi was at.

Téa ran, bolting suddenly toward the direction of where she thought Kaiba would be. To her surprise and slight anxiety, she passed no one else on the streets or sidewalks. Not a car, not even a single soul. And, from what she could tell, all the shops and stores she passed were closed. She became even more desperate to reach Kaiba if only for human interaction.

Eventually, Téa caught a human figure from the corner of her eye as she passed by a narrow alleyway. She stopped immediately and backtracked to see who it was. The silhouette had its back turned to her. It was a slight frame, thin. But, after a moment of staring, the figure stirred, turning to face her. And, once it turned, Téa gasped for the light caught on his face and she saw who it was.

"Bakura?" she called hesitantly. The white-haired boy's face was calm, placid, but when she spoke out to him, his features changed, becoming sharper as a smirk touched his face. And Téa knew it wasn't just Bakura, it was the evil spirit of the Millennium Ring. Téa gasped, instinctively taking a step back from her possessed friend.

"What wrong, Téa?" he asked mockingly. "Surprised to see me?"

"Uhm," was all she managed to get out as she carefully edged her way further and further away from the alleyway. Her attempt at escaping didn't avoid his notice. He stepped toward her.

"And where do you think you're going?" Téa frowned at him, her brow furrowing.

"Where does it look like I'm going?" she asked boldly. "Away from you."

And, with that, she bolted. Téa ran as fast as she could, down the streets, coming closer to Kaiba and his dragon as it grew larger in sight. Bakura, meanwhile, frowned to himself, going after Téa at a slow pace; there was no need to run, she wasn't going anywhere.

All the while, he grumbled, "I hope you know what you're doing, Marik."

Somewhere, Marik smirked.

**---**

She was going in circles. She _had _to be. She wasn't getting _any_ closer to that damned dragon or to that building the dragon was on. Téa wasn't sure she even remembered which direction it was; she had lost sight of it a while ago, for some reason it being eclipsed behind the surrounding buildings. And still, there was no one in sight, not a single soul.

She stopped moving, an ache was beginning to form in her calves which she thought was odd because, as a dancer, Téa was able to maintain an incredible amount of stamina. Maybe she'd been running around so much. At least, she seemed to have lost the evil Bakura behind. Still, was that really worth anything considering her current predicament?

She spotted a nearby bus bench and decided to sit on it as she thought of what to do. And to calm herself down.

Just where was everyone? The Battle City Tournament was going on; the city should be sprawling with duelists! Now, it seemed to be a ghost city. She knew she was Domino. At least, she thought she was. Maybe this was the work of all that Millennium magic everyone was going on about. Maybe this was just a trick of her mind. Maybe she was dreaming. Téa pinched herself, hard, but to no avail. She was still awake, alone, and now her arm was slightly sore. She sighed. What could she do?

It was then that she heard a shuffle in the distance, the shuffling of feet on pavement that is. Téa quickly rose to her feet, should she need to dash away again, and waited. Soon, two people came into sight, two males. One was supporting the other; the one needing to be supported seemed to be quite injured. As the two came closer in sight, Téa saw that the one who was doing the supporting had platinum blond hair, tanned skin, a hooded purple top showing his midriff, and dark cargo pants. And though she had never seen this boy before, he looked shockingly familiar, as if she _was _supposed to know him. But, for some reason, there was no substantial memory that suggested as such.

Even so, it was no doubt that the boy he was supporting was indeed familiar, with his wild mane of white hair and striped, short-sleeved shirt that exposed his extremely pale skin. Besides, she had only seen him minutes before: Bakura. Only this time, his upper left arm was bandaged and, as blood seeped through the bandages, bleeding. Téa gasped at his wound and looked around her, subconsciously expecting Joey to be there for some reason. But, when she saw that he was not, she rushed over to the pair.

"What happened?" Téa asked, looking to the stranger for answers.

"I dunno. I found him like this," said the tanned stranger.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Namu." _And Téa believed him. _She placed a tentative hand on Bakura's shoulder.

"We need to find him a hospital."

"He doesn't need one," Namu said. Téa looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.

"What do mean? Of course he does." Namu shook his head.

"What is he to you?" Téa straightened up, removing her hand from the shoulder.

"He's a friend," Téa said defensively. "That's more than you are." She stared dead straight into his violet eyes, his strangely vivid purple eyes. He didn't shy away from her gaze.

"Are you sure your trust isn't misplaced?" Téa stared in disbelief at his audacity.

"Who are you?" she asked. Namu smirked.

"Don't you know the answer to that?" She noticed his hand was behind his back and it moved slightly. With the movement, it felt as though a curtain was lifted from her memories. She stared blankly at Namu's face.

Only, she knew it wasn't Namu now.

"What are you talking about, Marik?" she snapped at him angrily. "I would trust my friend before I would trust you."

"Do you not remember when you saw him earlier? He wasn't your 'friend' then, was he?" Marik stopped supporting Bakura and, to Téa's surprise, he was able to stand on his own. In fact, he rose to his full height and his face was sharper than ever before. And, he was smirking just like he was earlier. He really was the evil Bakura.

"What are you wanting, Marik?" Téa snapped to him.

"I'm trying to get you to trust me," Marik said, moving toward her. "Remember this incident earlier with your other friend, Joey, and Yugi's grandpa? You thought that Bakura was injured by a random stranger. When, that was not truly the case. Bakura injured himself."

Bakura's eyes were trained carefully on Marik as he was speaking, his smirk quickly disappearing as it was replaced by a frown.

"Marik," Bakura growled in a warning tone. "What do you think you're doing?" Marik turned to him.

"I'm exposing you for what you are Bakura," Marik said. Téa watched as Bakura continued to contemplate Marik carefully, his brown eyes thinking. She knew that there was more to this. Why else would Marik bring back up this whole situation? What importance was Bakura? And why would Marik bring an evil spirit here to her just prove that Marik could be trusted? It didn't make any sense; none at all.

* * *

The close is upon us, within a few chapters, that is. Please review!

**_-NuitSongeur_**


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